Lifestyle

Research shows a fifth feel no guilt for broadcasting other people’s secrets

The average UK woman can only keep a secret for 34 hours, a new survey has revealed.

The survey of 4000 women was commissioned by the community coffee chain Esquires Coffee Houses UK.

Of the 4,000 women polled, 90% claim to be trustworthy yet as many as 30% admit to spilling the beans just hours after they’ve been trusted with a secret.

One in 10 of those women even claim to blab within 45 minutes.

According to the study, women in the UK are told around three secrets a week by their nearest and dearest and they are likely to pass at least one of those juicy nuggets on to a friend.

On average, women tend to spend 41 minutes each day gossiping. The most talked about subjects are work (57% of subjects agreed), friend’s troubles (55%), friend’s love lives (54%) and work colleagues (50%).

When sharing someone else’s secret, women are most likely to confide in a friend over a husband, boyfriend or family member. However, a staggering 50% of women think that it’s acceptable to betray a friend’s trust if they confide in their partner.

Managing Director of Esquires Coffee Houses UK Peter Kirton, said: “For us, it was interesting to see that one in four women have a favourite place to socialise and that, despite the rise in social media, over three quarters of the nation still prefer to share their secrets in person.

“When it comes to gossiping hot spots, it seems that the water cooler is no longer the place to be with work desks, staff kitchens, pubs and coffee houses amongst the most popular choices for a chat. Rather than catching someone in a corridor or in the street, people prefer to find somewhere comfortable and private to relax and share their news.

“We were also pleased to see that 63% of those surveyed said they tend to eat or drink whilst gossiping and these figures got even higher amongst the younger generations. Getting together with friends and talking through your troubles is a great way to offload and unwind, especially over a cup of tea or coffee! We’ve always known that catching up on the latest gossip is a well-loved ritual for our customers and now, thanks to this survey, we know what they’re talking about.”

According to the survey, subjects kept under wraps varied from the true cost of a purchase to far more intimate issues such as affairs and dealing with ex-partners.

A fifth of those surveyed felt no guilt for broadcasting other people’s secrets. For 38% of women, sharing someone else’s secret is simply a way to get something off their chest and a quarter of the respondents feel a weight has been lifted once they have shared.

Of those who admit to breaking a confidence, 61% will tell someone uninvolved so not to get caught. And, although a third of the population has never been caught sharing a secret, 12% of women have fallen out with a friend for gossiping about something they were told in private.